Chapter 1582: Chapter 1582
As the explosion ripped through the air, the unicorn caught Jenkins mid-fall. Against the backdrop of their ascent into the sky, the colossal blood mosquito disintegrated behind them, piece by piece. Not every being could so easily balance life and death; it was, in a way, one of Jenkins's unique gifts.
With its master dead, the red mist began to dissipate. The terrifying curse, having lost its physical anchor, lashed out toward the nearest living creature, only to be effortlessly repelled by the unicorn.
The arcane lock, the Scarlet Banquet, shattered completely in the wake of the great battle. In its place, a divine art that had long been prepared—the Purifying Heaven—washed over the landscape, dyeing the ground and sky a brilliant gold. Evil energy steamed away, vanishing into nothingness. At last, the demigods of the Church entered the grounds of the Paramont Manor, their eyes falling upon the Believer of Lies, who stood watching them with his sword in hand.
"You're just like the police, always showing up after everything's over."
Jenkins scoffed, sheathing his sword and patting his mount in praise. The small creature let out a cheerful cry, expressing its delight.
"First of all, we arrived before you did—the Church has been on-site since last week. And second, had you not acted so swiftly, we would have been the ones to deal with her."
The speaker was Wood Broshier, a Keeper of Secrets clad in the white robes of a priest. As Bel Diran was traditionally the domain of the Sage Church, it fell to him to speak.
"In any case, I was the one who solved Bel Diran's little problem this time. And that monster from the dream a while back? That was us, too. No need to thank us. After all, we live in this city, same as you."
He had planned to offer a few more pleasantries before using Real Illusion to slip back beneath the ruins, but the Keeper of Secrets stopped him.
The demigods of the Twelve Churches were all present, and he spoke the word 'Savior' for all to hear.
"I know a thing or two," Jenkins replied. "What do you want?"
While Jenkins knew the Church had been eager to discuss this matter with the Believers of Lies, he never expected the Keeper to broach the subject so abruptly, in such a public setting, and without any apparent consultation.
"I know that while you may not be saints, you are certainly not villains. The great cataclysm at the End of the Epoch draws nearer by the day, and the dangers lurking within Nolan have begun to surface. I doubt you wish for this era to end in annihilation any more than we do. Why not cooperate with the Orthodox Churches? Let's lay our cards on the table. What we need now is cooperation, not conflict."
The Keeper of Secrets spoke, his tone earnest and sincere.
"If everyone truly understood the importance of cooperation at a time , then the nation beneath our feet wouldn't be on the brink of war with distant lands. I personally agree with your sentiment, but..." ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ NoveI-Fire.ɴet
Jenkins replied, his voice laced with deliberate mockery. He snorted softly and let his gaze drift over everyone present. Beneath their feet lay the ruins of the manor, blanketed in golden divine runes—the power of the arcane lock preventing the curse from spreading beyond the grounds:
"But let me ask you this: how many Saviors have the Orthodox Churches found? I know the Millstone of Fate records that nine will appear in this Epoch. So, how many have you located?"
He himself already accounted for six of those slots, with only the green emblem of life, the purple of destiny, and the yellow of spells yet to appear. This was the perfect opportunity to learn which, if any, of the naturally born Saviors the Churches had found, and perhaps use that information to predict when the final hour would arrive.
No one answered Jenkins's question, but they all understood its gravity. The search for the Saviors had been in full swing ever since the star of destiny had first brightened in the night sky six months prior. The Twelve Orthodox Churches, with their ancient legacies, all knew what the Saviors represented. Yet in nearly a year of searching, aside from the Sage Church's initial discovery of a certain clueless young man, the other churches had come up empty-handed.
And so, as things stood, every single Savior known to the Churches was suspected of being a follower of the Lying God.
"The star of destiny is already shining in the sky, and the cataclysm at the End of the Epoch is upon us. If the Churches want to talk, that's not out of the question."
Having seized the initiative, Jenkins pressed on. The Churches' proposal was logical. No matter how he planned to face the final calamity, cooperation with them would be necessary.
"But here is the problem: the Believers of Lies all follow the same god. We can be considered a unified group with shared interests. The Twelve Orthodox Churches, on the other hand, are not, to my knowledge, a particularly cohesive organization. Each church has its own doctrines, its own agenda, and brings different assets to the table. We can talk, but who, exactly, would we be talking to? Which people? Which churches?"
He posed the question, thinking that forcing the Churches to form a proper alliance before any negotiation could only be to his benefit.
The members of the Churches fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts. After a moment, the old Keeper of Secrets was the one to reply:
"That is something we can discuss, but we will need time. It is not a decision that can be made lightly by those present here today. But I must know—can you, the man standing before us, give your word on behalf of all your companions? Are the Believers of the Lying God willing to cooperate with the Orthodox Churches?"
He asked, his voice ringing out. Jenkins smiled and gazed toward the distant city, then to the mountains on the horizon that seemed to merge with the sky:
"For the sake of this world... of course, we can cooperate."
"Then if the Twelve Orthodox Churches form an alliance and wish to discuss the terms of this cooperation, where would we find you?"
The Keeper of Secrets pressed.
"Find us? Why, of course..."
He turned to the west, where the sun was sinking below the horizon, painting the sky in brilliant shades of red. The late summer sunset was breathtaking, its light casting a warm glow upon the faces of those gathered in the sky, draping them all in a veil of orange gauze:
"If you wish to find us, go to Nolan. The fabled city of the 18th Epoch, the one spoken of in the prophecies. The city where fate and folly converge."
He pointed in Nolan's direction, then turned back to the members of the Churches:
"I am there. I have always been there."
"Will you be true to your word?"
The Keeper of Secrets asked, his expression grave.
"I may be a Believer of Lies, but this is all for the sake of the world."
He raised his right hand in a solemn vow:
"Everything... is for this beautiful world. If you truly wish to find me, you will find us in Nolan."
"Everything is for the sake of this world."
The Keeper of Secrets followed Jenkins's lead, raising his hand. The others did the same, and their collective voices resonated, the sound humming in the ears of all present:
"Like the alliances of ancient myth, forged to stand against great calamities, we will follow the wisdom of our ancestors and the lessons of history. We will form a new, unified alliance to face the end of this Epoch. Though our stations may differ, our languages, and even our faiths, this alliance shall be forged. Because all of this... is for the sake of this world."